The Real Reason
by FireStorm1991
Summary: Based on the events taking place in Episode 62 of DBS. After hearing Bulma's words to their son, an affronted Vegeta tries to rid himself of the rage he feels over Bulma praising Goku over him. He never considered her reasoning behind it, yet a late night discussion reveals to the Saiyan prince what Bulma had really been feeling.


Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or Super or the characters

After watching Episode 62 of Dragon Ball Super, I had the idea for this piece. I hope you all like it! And if you haven't seen DBS yet, you should. It's been really great to see what they've done with all the characters and the latest season.

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Vegeta could _not_ be angrier.

After explaining to Beerus and Whis the happenings in the future world, he had gone off to think, asking everyone to leave him alone. It didn't help his mood that Black and Zamasu were still wreaking havoc in the future timeline, but his son was still back there fighting for his life. They had temporarily _retreated_. That cowardly act went against everything Vegeta was, but it was his son who requested it, what Trunks was fighting for, and he could not spit on the boy's sacrifice.

He was a true Saiyan.

Of course Bulma had been with them, which was another reason they needed to go. They couldn't just blindly fight the enemy anymore. A plan…they needed a plan. Vegeta scoffed in derision. He hadn't wanted to leave his son there alone. This whole mess, the reason he had gotten involved was to avenge the fallen Future Bulma and to protect his son and his world. He had admitted as much on the battlefield. This Goku Black could no longer be. He needed to die by his hand. He mentally swore that he would find a way.

"Of course you can't!" His wife's admonishing voice reached him, and he paused in his stride, surprised to see his son with Kakarot's spawn. What were they doing in the middle of the night? "They're not the kind of enemies you can beat! Even Goku couldn't win!"

Vegeta grunted in frustration slightly looking away, but not leaving the scene. Why was the woman always brining that clown up?

Trunks didn't like his mother's answer. "But I want to go! I want to help!"

"You wouldn't be of any help even if you did go there," Bulma countered. Even though Vegeta agreed, voicing it was such a blow to the child's pride. Still, even his stone-cold resolve and stoicism couldn't prepare him for the next words his wife uttered.

"Leave it to Goku."

That was such a low blow, and that is what currently had Vegeta so incredibly angry. As Trunks continued to argue, continued to exhibit his Saiyan side by wanting to help his older self, his comrade, Bulma once again stated that his rival would defeat their two foes. It had taken him aback, hurt him more than any energy blast ever could, to hear his wife putting all of her faith into the Earth-raised Saiyan.

He had almost revealed himself, almost screamed in rage at the woman to make her just _SHUT UP!_ Kakarot's wife showed up first, though, and managed to unknowingly diffuse the situation…for the moment.

Now that everyone had left their home, and Trunks and his friends were all asleep, that left Vegeta alone with his thoughts. He threw himself into training. He planned to go into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber soon, but he still had all this pent up rage. He knew if he went there with this state of mind, he'd probably injure himself right away. It was best to calm himself down training at home before isolating himself for an extended period of time.

" _Vegeta?"_

The Saiyan prince hissed slightly as he narrowly avoided the blast from a bot. He retaliated with his own blast, destroying the metal heap. His wife had done something idiotic. She knew better than to interrupt him while training. When he was engaged in battle, she was a distraction. Her improved technology actually _could_ do damage to him now.

He stopped the bots momentarily before he went to the monitor looking far from amused. "What?" he growled.

Bulma looked slightly bothered by his tone, but she was not looking for an argument. To be honest, she was starting to feel the stress from their recent time travelling endeavor, and she wanted to spend just a few moments with her husband before he went off to train in the time chamber for the night. "Maybe you should take a break, at least for a half hour."

It came off as a suggestion, but was really a plea. Vegeta, though, in his anger, did not notice the woman's softness or vulnerability. "I'm busy," he scoffed, crossing his arms and looking away. "Training is my main priority right now."

"But…" Bulma called out abruptly before she frowned and sighed before glaring at the man and snapping. "Well, it's just that…you're going to be going to the Lookout, so you'll be able to train for a long time before morning. You can take a break."

Vegeta sneered at her, and Bulma actually jumped in surprise. It was like she could feel Vegeta's ire from the screen. What had him so angry, and why was he directing it at her. "I will not be like that fool that has everything handed to him on a silver platter. I will surpass him through hard work alone, and _I_ will be the one to defeat those bastards."

Bulma's eyes widened as she realized what had Vegeta so upset. Her expression softened, her eyes capturing him and imploring him to listen. "Please, Vegeta. Come inside so that we can talk."

"We have nothing to discuss," was Vegeta's cold remark as he turned off the monitor, hanging up on the woman. She always hated it when he did that, but he had no choice in the matter. It was either that, or they would end up saying something that the two of them would regret. He needed to calm down before going into the chamber, not start an argument.

Bulma clearly didn't take the hint. Instead, she came outside to him, her fist lightly banging on the metal door of the gravity room. Vegeta closed his eyes sucking in a breath to try to center himself. He would never understand why the smartest woman in the world couldn't grasp the concept of being _left alone._ His son understood and would give the older prince his space and he was merely a child.

He quickly opened the door, glaring down at the woman, and he finally noticed her distress. Her eyes looked saddened…begging. When she said please, it wasn't because she was being polite while trying to coax him inside. His woman was actually begging. His eyes narrowed, brows furrowing in confusion. What was her game?

"Vegeta," she whispered. "Let's talk. Here, inside…I don't care. But what you heard…there was a reason, and I swear it wasn't to insult you."

"Could have fooled me," the prince scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest once again, refusing to look at her. His usual, guarded position.

"Hey, cut it out with the pride for a second!" Bulma snapped harshly before she breathed out and said. "Alright, no, don't do that. I'm sorry, Vegeta…this whole thing just has me really stressed out."

"You think you're the only one?" Vegeta retorted, no humor in his voice. "I've been to that blasted world two times! Twice! Twice I've had to leave without finishing the job! Do you know how humiliating that is? And then to hear you speak so highly of Kakarot was icing on the damn cake! To know that's what you think of me… You said that not knowing I was there, which in turn proves how little you think of me."

"That's not it Vegeta!" Bulma shouted growing increasingly incensed. She breathed out her irritation, furious eyes being directed at her husband. "Damn it, Vegeta…" Her voice cracked slightly, Vegeta flinching at the sound. There was no way…Bulma was not about to start crying, was she?

It had been such a long time since she had, and the last time was after the incident with Buu. They had had a long discussion about the role he played during the events, both positively and negatively. It had been hard on both of them, and Bulma had cried for hours before they reconciled and Vegeta promised that she would never see that side of him again. He did not want to be that man anymore.

So why was crying now?

When they argued, they usually screamed at each other for a while, letting out all of their anger and regaining their composure before a heated makeup session. It was how they worked, even if one insulted the other. Neither of them ever cried over hurt feelings. Wrath, yes. Sadness, no.

"Twice, Vegeta…" Bulma's voice squeaked forlornly. "You think I don't understand that, what it does to you? There's a reason I mentioned Goku but not you, and it had nothing to do with you…not fully."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Vegeta scornfully derided. Bitterly, he scoffed a laugh. "My own wife doesn't think I have the strength to defeat the one who killed her, the one who is still fighting our son. Pathetic."

"No, Vegeta," Bulma argued. "It's not about whether or not I believe you can do it. I _know_ you can. Somehow, you guys will find out a way to take them down and save the future. I've always had faith in you. You stood up to the God of Destruction for me for crying out loud!"

Vegeta's stoic expression didn't change, but he did feel the slight stroke to his pride. Bulma realized she wasn't going to get much out of him, so she continued to explain herself. "Vegeta, I know you're strong. I know you have to fight. I just don't want you to."

That took Vegeta by surprise, and he glared at the woman. She immediately corrected herself. "I mean, I'm not going to stop you. I know I can't. I knew going into this that you would always fight. It's just…when I saw you injured like that…by _them_ …Vegeta, I can't go through that again."

Finally, her words seemed to reach Vegeta, and the anger seemed to flee from his body. Out of all the things Bulma could have said, that wasn't what Vegeta was expecting. As soon as she said that, he was waiting for her to transform into Kakarot's harpy, forbid him from fighting which would have not gone over well. Now, he realized what this was truly about.

After Buu's defeat, when he had returned to her, Bulma ran to him and embraced him. She was so happy and relieved to see him, and when they spoke of it she had told him what his sacrifice had done to her. He had tried to explain that he had caused the problem and was trying to take care of it as penance to her, for her, her and Trunks both. It was his mess that he needed to clean up. It was his duty to keep them safe, especially from something he caused.

Despite his logic, Bulma had scolded him for at least an hour about his decision and how it affected his family. He had never considered it. He was born into a warrior race and death was a normal occurrence. Dying on the battlefield was an honor, though selfless sacrifices never truly happened. There was hardly any time for mourning, not that anyone would mourn. But Bulma, for that short time he was dead, grieved for him. Trunks as well, though his energy went into training like a true Saiyan. Still, the boy had been in therapy for a good long while after what happened, the fact that his father had hugged him, knocked him out, and then left him to go and die. Bulma had been slightly clingier after that, as well.

His mind had been so focused on Trunks and the future timeline that he never considered what Bulma had been dealing with. The sitting on the sidelines, the waiting, hoping that they would come back alive.

It explained was she strong-armed them into letting her go the second time.

Vegeta breathed out a sigh of frustration before he pulled Bulma to him in one of his rare forms of affection. Bulma looked up at the man, startled, but Vegeta's eyes would not meet hers. Instead he was looking over at the floor over her shoulder. It didn't matter, though, now that she was in his arms. She didn't say anything else, realizing that Vegeta finally understood.

She cared about her friend, yes. He was like a brother to her and losing him the multiple times she had affected her to no end. Losing Vegeta…losing him destroyed her. Sure, he came back. With the Dragon Balls, both Earth, Namek, and now even _Super_ , they were covered, but it didn't change that she felt immense pain and devastation from losing her husband. She didn't want to go through it again. She couldn't.

When Trunks came to her, Bulma had been reeling over the fact that they had been defeated for the second time. These enemies were not normal. They were no Frieza. Frieza had been defeated three times: once by Goku, another time by Trunks, and then by the two Saiyans together in the craziest battle Bulma had ever seen save these powerful gods showed up out of nowhere. They were lucky that Vegeta hadn't died during the first confrontation and lucky that Goku hadn't been injured nearly as bad.

Bulma didn't want Vegeta to fight them again. She didn't even like the idea of her son fighting them now while they were safe in their peaceful timeline. Someone had to fight, but she couldn't even think about Vegeta and Trunks fighting them, however irrational that was. So Goku's name was the only one that left her lips, because even though she truly believed that Vegeta would win this time, it was possible he'd have to give up his life in the process.

She couldn't live through that again.

"Promise me…" she whispered, laying her head against his chest. "Promise me that you'll retreat as many times as you have to. Promise me you won't let yourself die to destroy them."

Vegeta was silent for a moment. What Bulma was asking him went against everything he was ever taught as a child, and he did not want to make that promise. Much like his son fighting in the future, his wife too had made sacrifices, both in the future and in the present. The woman in the future died trying to ensure that Trunks could come to them for help. Bulma in the present had worked nonstop to repair the time machine, to send supplies to the future timeline, to nurse the wounded back to health while inside she was breaking and keeping her emotions quiet.

She, too, acted like a true Saiyan.

He needed to honor that.

"I promise," he spoke softly. Bulma almost hadn't heard him, but he knew she did when she relaxed in his hold and wrapped her arms around his waist.

The two stood like that for only a moment before Vegeta removed himself from her and walked to the door. Bulma seemed surprised by his actions, but Vegeta simply smirked. "I can take a short break," he stated, "but the second you're asleep, I'm gone."

Bulma's eyes lit up with mirth as she coyly smiled. "I understand. Guess you better tire me out, then."

Instantly, Vegeta's face turned a bright shade of red as he hissed, "Damn, vulgar woman!"

Her laugh calmed him, and he mentally cursed himself for having let such a creature get under his skin. Well, honestly, he wouldn't have her any other way. Bulma was one of kind, beautiful, intelligent, and so unbelievably strong. She was his.

Despite her earlier words, Vegeta could always pride himself that he had her. That's something Kakarot would never have over him.


End file.
